Sarofim Foundation | Finance Officer

Denise Smith Consulting • Houston, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Sarofim Foundation seeks a Finance Officer to support disciplined, thoughtful grantmaking and stewardship of the Foundation’s resources. The role sits at the intersection of finance, grantmaking, and grantee partnership, with direct involvement in deploying more than $150 million annually across approximately 175–225 grants. Based in Houston, Texas, the Finance Officer reports to the Managing Director of Finance and partners closely with the Grants Officer, Managing Director of Programs, and other Foundation staff.

The Finance Officer leads financial diligence for an assigned portfolio, evaluating organizations in their full programmatic and financial context and helping position both grantees and the Foundation for long-term success. The role requires financial acumen, sound judgment, curiosity, empathy, humility, and strong relationship-management skills. The successful candidate will analyze complex information, identify material issues, ask constructive questions, and communicate findings clearly to financial and nonfinancial audiences. The role also supports grant lifecycle management, strategic financial analysis, sector research, and the development of diligence tools and AI-enabled processes.

This is a full-time, in-person position in Houston. The Foundation offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience, a comprehensive insurance plan, professional development opportunities, an annual retirement benefit, and paid time off. Applications, including a cover letter and resume, will be received until December 6, 2026; applications are reviewed as received, with early applicants receiving priority review.

Requirements

• At least seven years of progressive professional experience in financial planning and analysis, nonprofit finance, consulting, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze organizations and communicate with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret nonprofit audits, Form 990s, restricted and unrestricted resources, revenue recognition, endowments, government funding, capital projects, and related financial considerations.
• Ability to synthesize complex information, identify root causes, distinguish material signals from noise, and focus on issues relevant to stewardship and long-term success.
• Clear and concise communication of ideas and financial concepts in conversations, memos, and presentations.
• Strong listening and stakeholder-management skills, including confidence engaging constructively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong quantitative research skills and ability to build reliable benchmarks, datasets, and analyses from varied sources.
• Advanced Excel skills and comfort learning and improving analytical, database, grants-management, and AI-enabled tools.
• Impeccable ethics, judgment, discretion, and care with confidential information.
• Commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
• Team-oriented customer service approach, adaptability, and willingness to take on varied tasks in service of the Foundation’s mission.
• Comfort working in a formal, full-time, in-person office environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in philanthropy or the nonprofit sector; relevant financial expertise and a genuine commitment to the sector may also be considered.
• Direct experience with nonprofit financial matters is strongly preferred.
• Salesforce experience preferred.
• MBA, MPA, master’s degree in a related field, CPA, CFA, or another relevant credential.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial diligence for an assigned portfolio by reviewing audited and interim financial statements, budgets, Form 990s, debt and liquidity information, and other relevant materials to assess financial health, business-model durability, and stewardship.
• Ask rigorous questions respectfully and empathetically, accounting for differences in organizational scale, sector, and capacity.
• Partner with the Grants Officer and program leadership throughout diligence, including participating in grantee calls and site visits to build a holistic understanding of organizations and proposed uses of funds.
• Prepare clear, concise financial diligence reports and presentation materials that translate complex analysis into actionable information for Foundation leadership.
• Partner with grantee finance leaders on financial challenges when appropriate and in coordination with program staff.
• Review applications and grant reports for required financial, governance, and other supporting materials, and follow up to resolve missing, inconsistent, or unclear information.
• Coordinate with program, finance, and operations teams to track diligence requirements, grant conditions, reporting obligations, and closeout items, helping grants proceed accurately and on time.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation in Salesforce and related systems.
• Conduct ad hoc financial analysis of grant opportunities and other areas of interest to support Foundation strategy and decision making.
• Develop reliable datasets and benchmarks across nonprofit sectors and local markets.
• Research business models and market context, including reimbursement, public funding, labor, facilities, demand, and other factors affecting grantee sustainability.
• Maintain and improve financial diligence frameworks, scorecards, templates, data definitions, and knowledge resources.
• Serve as a finance subject-matter partner in developing and improving AI-enabled diligence and reporting tools.

Benefits

• Comprehensive insurance plan, including health, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, and voluntary coverage options.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Annual retirement benefit.
• Paid time off.
• Competitive salaries commensurate with experience.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level